I was really disappointed at some of the comments leveled elsewhere at Oil Can over this interview.
Parenting kept me from watching the full ESPN interview, so I’ve only seen the promo clip. But by all accounts, he was candid and himself.
If I remember right, he got the nickname Oil Can, a reference to beer cans, as a teenager because he drank a lot of beer. That should have been a clue 30 years ago.
Lou Merloni came to Oil Can’s defense today. Basically, Lou said the Can has always had demons. He grew up in segregated Mississippi. He had a rough childhood. But he loves baseball. He loves the game, just like we do. Lou said he has a good relationship with Oil Can.
Oil Can never hurt anyone but himself.
I don’t care that he smoked crack before games. I don’t care that he still does cocaine. I don’t care that he still smokes dope every day.
He didn’t defile the game. He just can’t control his demons, and he had a childhood that none of will ever comprehend.